Water softener and method of preparing



Patented Apr. 8, 1030 i n. or mysmo Io Drawing.

method of as wellz astof ai'new material for treating watertx'andr boilers, ice pla ts, drinking,;laundries, and many other pu poses both domestic and mdustrial. It also involves water treatment fed into boilers directwith and without soda ash and caustic soda and can 'bc' in locomotive boilers and boat boilersfFurthermore, it contemplates treatment {by either; the hot or the cold process withllme and? soda ash both continuous or intermittent. It

also involves the provision of a method which will aid certain chemical processes, as will appear below.

- oxide when properly treated with certain chemicals and then allowed to come in contact with water forms a heavy flocculent.

softening water,iithas.'not1heretofore been possible to get itinto a satisfactory liquid form for use as a water softenen'and the principal object of my invention is tochan' aluminum oxide into aluminumf 'hydroxid: and, at the same time, hold it insuspension in a water solution.

I'accomplish the foregoing by adding from about 1 to about 5% of tri-basic sodium phos-v phate (Na PO .-12H O) which amount will successfully hold the alumina in a water solution in the "form of aluminum hydroxide. The tri-basic sodium phosphate reacts with the temporary hardness in the water to form cium (Oa,(PO,) or magnesium and soda ash. This will operate to soften the water because the soda ash from the above reaction reacts in turn with the permanent hardness to throw it down as the insoluble calcium or 0 magnesium carbonate.

an be applied t9 Waterv intended for algreat varietyof -u'ses, s'uch as fen-"example,

. aluminum hydroxide.

droxide in the insoluble tertiary orthophosphate of cal-' i w m*msosioaim e M rema n? a This invention relates to an :5 improved,

of aluminum hydroxide I do not need; to be confined to the use of aluminum oxide as'commercialsoda or potassium alum, contams approximately -17% aluminum oxideand commercial aluminum chloride contains about 21%.

In preparin my improved material I prefer to procee as follows: a retort containing approximately water with 20% of caustic soda, Iaddf10% of aluminum oxide or an amountfi-of-soda or potash alum or aluminum chloride which will result in a product which is approximately 10% aluminumhydroxide, for I have found that this- I ur-' poses. The mixture is heated with afglta tion I have found, for example, thataluminum 1 amount works the best for coagulati-n until all the aluminum is "in the orm of Then from..5 to 10% of tri-sodium phosphate is added which, I have found,;tends to .holdthe aluminum hycolloidal suspension. Y Atthis point it is advantageous-to add" approximately .1"to.2% of some organic material, such as glycerine or castorbil. Such heavy viscous substances helpf-to-keep the aluminum hydroxide in colloidal suspension. Whe treating water internally in a boiler, I have found in practice that the addition of one to two percent of soda alumto my mate- ;rial will prevent caustic enilirittle'ment. This 1 is due to the fact thatwhen the soda alum .comes in contact with thealkalies, such as caustic soda,,sodium sulphate is formed as one of :the roducts," and by keeping the sodium sulp content in the boiler inthe ratio of two parts free sodium sulphate to one,part free soda ash, caustic embrittlement is prevented.

If desired, barium hydroxide may be used in preparing my material either with or without thecaustic soda. I have found that ten percent ofbariumihydrox-ide when heated ina retort with aluminum oxide of approximately ten percent that the aluminum oxide will go into a colloidal suspension being held by the barium hydroxide. Barium hydroxide :will 'reactiwiththe temporary hardness of the w'aterfto form calcium or magnesium carbonates, barium-carbonate and water thus the ate to the unreacted soda ash barium hydroxide not only holds ealumi,

num hydroxide in suspension but also is a water softener. Y

I claim p o 1. As a new product, a liquid water shitener containing aluminum hydroxide held in suspension in a water solution.

2. As a new product, a liquid water softener containing aluminum hydroxide,caustic soda, and tri-sodium phosphate; 3 Y

3. As a new product, a liquid water softener containing aluminum hydroxide of a proximately 5% held in suspension by th addition of from 5 to 10%, of tri-basic sodium phosphate.

4. As a new product, a liquid water softener containing aluminum hydroxide, caustic soda,tri sodium;phosphate, and 1 to 2% qfj bdaalum p 5. As a new, product, a liquid water softener, containing aluminum hydroxide held in colloidal suspension by the addition oil to 2% 'of an organic liquldsuch a's' glycerine or castoro' 6.,Asl a new product, a liquid water softener containing aluminum hydroxide, caustic'sida, 5to 10% tri-sodium phosphate, 1 to 2% soda alum, and 1 to 2% of an organic liquid such as glycerine or castor 011.

, softener, which 7. Inthe method of preparing aluminum hydroxide for use as a water softener, the step which consists in adding tri-sodium phosphate to a solution of aluminum oxide in caustic soda.

8. In the method of preparing aluminum hydroxide for use as a water softener, the steps which consist in adding tri-sodium phosphate to a solution of aluminum oxide in caustic soda and then-adding an organic liquid to the mixture.

9. The herein described inethod of preparing aluminum hydroxide for use as awater compr ses, adding the oxideto a solution of caustic soda, heating and agitating the mixture until all the aluminum is in the form of aluminum hydroxidefand then adding tri-sodium phosphate to the mixture. I

10. The herein described method of preparing aluminum hydroxide for use as a Water softener, which comprises adding the oxide to a solution of caustic soda, heating and agitating the mixture until all' thealumi' num is in the form oi. aluminum hydroxide, then adding tri-sodium phosphate to the mixture, and finally in adding an organic I liquid, such' as glycerine or castor oil.:

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

WALTER N. 

